Beachport is a great destination if you like sand driving, with many four wheel drive clubs getting into the area as well. For Sandhurst 4wd Club it was our 2nd trip down this way and after the fun we had last year we couldn’t wait to get back. I booked the Caravan Park just after our last trip as I’ve already done for next year 2021.
We travelled the 5 hour trip down on the Friday with some meeting at the Marong Hotel Friday morning and some met us at the The Royal Hotel in Horsham. We had a counter meal at the pub to break the drive up a little. We had 9 vehicles in convey going through Edenhope, Penola and the Wine region of Coonawarra reaching Beachport about 4.00pm, we checked in and got our spots then set up camp. Rob and Adriana was already down there set up in their caravan, and David and his family and Karl turned up as well. It started to get windy as it didn’t stop blowing for the whole four days. We couldn’t have a fire either, cause the caravan park couldn’t get permits and it was that windy anyway. So a early night it was.
Saturday
We woke and it was still windy so we had breakfast and some of us went to fuel up before taking off for the day. We had a fairly big briefing just explaining Recoveries in sand and driving through soft sand and the different techniques. We left the Caravan park at 9.00am heading into Beachport turning left into Railway tce the Main Street of Beachport then at the roundabout right onto Beach rd then another right and you just need to follow the Bowman Scenic Drive signs. The drive takes you past a lot of Lookouts of the Spectacular rugged coast of the Southern Ocean, it also passes Pool of Siloam which is seven times more salter than the sea. The drive comes to a dead end where we aired down to 15psi, then we were straight into the sand, the turnoff is 500m back down the road to the left. From here there is inland tracks or you can head down onto the beach, so we headed down onto the beach and the soft sand then Gareth got bogged as he has never driven on sand before, so a quick snatch and he was out. When you drive the beach the tracks go off the beach to inland tracks then back onto the beach again so you can’t actually drive the beach the whole way and you if you don’t want to drive the soft sand you don’t have to.
You eventually get to a tiny fishing town called Nora Creina, it’s Private Property but your aloud to drive through as long as you obey the 10kmh speed signs and when you go through the gate close it after you rule. We continued on the dirt road then at the next crossroads turn left onto Nora Creina rd, you go along here for about 2kms then there’s a left hand turn to Little Dip Beach track and you are back onto the beach, where we had four vehicles bogged, they had a bit of trouble getting out with snatching and using Max Tracs, after about 30mins they were out. We went on a bit more and parked up on a ledge over looking the Ocean and we had some lunch. After lunch more beach driving then we went off the beach and took Stoney Rises track, past Stoney Rises Campground then at the end a left turning towards Robe. In Robe we found a spot to park and we had a break for a while some having a coffee and some having Fish n Chips at the local shops. We then headed back to Beachport back the same way we come along the beach while Glen and Sarah went back along the road to Beachport. Along the way back driving is very different having hill climbs and wombat holes in different spots where we come back to a hill we went down we had to climb with wombat holes at the top that pulled up a lot of vehicles and had to be snatched just a little to get them over the top. We actually got back to Caravan park about 6.00pm, it was a big days driving we had some dinner some going up to the Pub and it was still windy and a very cold night so we were off to bed early again.
Sunday
Yes still windy, so some stayed in bed a little longer. Today we were going from Beachport to Carpenter Rocks, we had a quick briefing on the drive that the sand was going to be even softer than the previous day so Momentum was going to be the key today and have recovery equipment ready. We took off at 9.00am from the Caravan park turning right onto Millicent road then just before the Robe turn-off we turned right over the sand dune onto the beach and started to head for Southend. The tide was out so we were able to get down low onto the hard sand and cruise for a bit. I was doing about 60kmh on the beach when I got a burning smell came into the cabin then the motor started to rattle and she just came to a complete halt, there was oil all underneath the vehicle and I said over the radio that I’ve just blown my motor, so Leigh came down in his 200 he hooked me up a strap and Leigh towed me back to the Caravan park with Steve following behind. While the others headed to Southend and waited for us to get back. I rang the RACV and they come out and picked the Toyota up and took it to a workshop in Millicent. So Leigh, Steve and myself went back along the beach to meet with the others at Southend. I jumped in Andrews Triton and Andrew become Trip Leader with me being Navigator, we took off down Erica street the Main Street in Southend then just over the bridge turn left following the signs to Canunda National Park, the road turns into a dirt road passing camps like Stanway point, Kyber pass, Kotgee and Nal-a-Wart , staying on the Bevilaqua Ford track then veer right towards Sweep Rock and keep driving on the track passing Mounce and Battye Rocks and the Boandik Aboriginal Midden site then at the next T Junction straight ahead to Geltwood Beach and a Warning sign- Access beach during Summer time only EXTREMELY SOFT SAND most of the year, and yes it was Extremely soft sand. You could feel the vehicles just sinking in the sand as you drove but with plenty of Momentum you could keep going, then we got to one section and the rear five vehicles got bogged and all had to recover each other, while the front vehicles kept on going then Andrew got stuck and Karl gave him a snatch out then just up ahead Narelle got stuck and Karl got stuck pulling her out so Dave had to get in front and we had a train trying to pull everyone out. Right there we had a exit off the beach at a place called Little Rock, we managed to get all vehicles off the beach and we waited for the others to catch up, they all got off as well and we had lunch about 1.00pm talking about our recoveries. We then decided to take the inland track to Carpenter Rocks, not a very hard track just sandy all the way into Carpenter Rocks. We stopped in a car park overlooking the Bay Area and we aired up. We took the asphalt road back to Beachport going through Millicent getting back to the Caravan park around 5.00pm. Some went to the pub for pizza’s and some stayed back and cooked dinner, wasn’t much fun out in the wind and cold so we took off to bed.
Monday
In the morning I had to work out how I was going to get everything home, like tent, camping equipment, bedding, Swag and the push bikes, so Andrew and Karl offered to drive us home. Thanks guys. We all packed up slowly and we all pretty much all went our own way home.
Participants
Russell, Amy and Jake. 105 LandCruiser
Andrew. Triton
Karl. 105 LandCruiser
Leigh. 200 LandCruiser
John. 100 LandCruiser
Geoff and Leanne. Isuzu
Glen, Sarah and Hudson. Nissan Patrol
Gareth. 76 LandCruiser
Dave, Angela and Nick. Nissan Patrol
Narelle and Fiona. Nissan Patrol
Rob and Adriana. Pajero
